Bracelet clasp



D. BLOCK BRACELET CLASP May 24, 1949.

Filed Sept'; 5, 1945 Patented May 2.4, 1949 UNITED STATES lETENT OFFICE BRACELET CLASP David Block, Philadelphia, Pa. Application September 5, 1945, Serial No. 614,551

(Cl. .Z4-68) l Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in bracelet clasps of the type used on wrist-watches, wrist-bands and the like.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a clasp comprising releasable spring-actuated means for opening and extending the clasp to facilitate removal of the bracelet from or placement thereof on the wrist.

Another object of thte invention is to provide clasp-opening means that will function with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator, and which at the same time will be both safe and eicient. This objective contemplates the avoidance of defects in the prior art structures, wherein the means for extending the clasp have been both complicated and cumbersome.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clasp having extension means which will be compact so as to t snugly within a relatively small casing, thereby affording a neat and plasing appearance on the wearers wrist.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby the extensible members of the clasp may be simultaneously ejected from said clasp casing on release of a spring detent member, thereby affording a quick action and avoiding delays incident to the conventional manual manipulation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a clasp that is readily serviceable and one that may be repaired with a minimum of trouble and expense.

Yet another object of the invention is to pro- Vide novel means whereby the bracelet may be adjusted to suit the wearers wrist.

The above and other objects will more clearly appear from the following detailed description of the device, with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a plan View, showing the device with the cover of the casing removed with part of the spring not shown;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View on the line 33, Fig. 2, showing the clasp in its closed position;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View showing the clasp in extended position;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one of the sliding links; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the detent member.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, Fig. 1

shows an outer link casing I comprising a body portion Ia, a cover portion Ib, and a base portion ic, said cover portion being pivotally attached to one end of the casing portion la, as at 3, and held in a closed position at the opposite end by a resilient catch 3a so as to permit the raising of the cover ib conveniently for repair and adjustment of certain mechanism contained in the casing body Ia.

One end of the casing body Ia has, as a par-t thereof, hinge means 5 for attaching the casing to one end of a wrist-band or bracelet X, while the opposite end of the casing is open, as at 5a, to permit extensible links 6, l and 8, which are slidably mounted therein, to be projected therefrom and returned thereto.

Within the body portion Ia of the casing I is a shelf 3 which extends the length of the casing with respect to the side and end walls of the body portion ia of the casing I.

The shelf s supports a spring member I0 having its one end attached to one end of the casing by means of a hook Ilia formed at the end of the spring, and having its opposite end Ib attached as, by hooking, to a pin member 6a which projects from the link 6 through an elongated slot il formed in the shelf 9, up into the space in the casing I in which the spring I0 is mounted, above said shelf 9.

The extensible link members 6, 1 and 8 slidably fit within the casing I, beneath the shelf 9, in an adjacent parallel nesting relation to each other. The middle link l consists of a solid piece of material, preferably a thin sheet of resilient metal, having at its one end an upwardly extending pin member I2 and at its other end a downwardly extending pin member I3. The upwardly extending pin member I2 slidably fits within an elongated slot i4 formed in the slidable link 6, said pin abutting the end edge of said slot when the links are in a closed position within the clasp. The downwardly extending pin member I3 slidably its within an elongated slot I-5 in the extensible link 8, and, when the links are in closed position, abuts one end edge of the said slot le in the link 3. The link member 8 is adapted to slide on a pair of laterally spaced bearing surfaces 23, 23 formed in the upper side of the base element Ic, with a longitudinal channel 24 between said slideways 23, 23.

Referring further to said link member 8, at one end thereof and on its under surface are a plurality of adjusting notches I6, which are arranged to cooperate with a spring detent member I1 forming a lock for holding the nested links 6-1--8 retained. within the casing I. beslaat that time is extended the length of f .the casing I,

.abuts the one end of the slot I5 of `th-,usretains thelink I in its closed position. The

,Il will be released from described. The said` pin member yone end of-V the slot in closed position. At the other end of said link member 8, is a rivet or other suitable attaching means for joining the link 8 to the second end X of the bracelet or wrist-band.

The spring detent member suitable resilient material and comprises foot portions I3 and I8, which are slidably mounted within the longitudinal channel 24 formed in the base-member Ic; of the casing. The foot portions I'8-and I9 areconnected to a central catch portion 25 of the detent I'I by oppositely sloping leg portions and 2I. opposite sides respectively of the catch are arms 26, 26 which are provided at their outer ends with finger gripping gripped and pressed downwardly cause the resilient legs 20 and 2l, of the detent I'I to flatten I'I may be of any out on the door of the channel 24, thereby re..

leasing the latch or catch 25 of the detent I7 Vfrom thanotches I 6 of the link 8. The side walls of. the body portion Ia of the casing I, and the slideways 23 2,3 for the link 8, as formed in the base; member Ic are vertically slotted at 21, 21, .to accommodate the Alegs 2.6, 260i the de-tent I l.

vertical movements of the In. operation the device functions as follows: :When thebracelet is closed, all of the extensible elements 6-1-8 of the clasp arecontained and The spring memdue -to the pull applied thereto by the: pin. member 6a oi link 6, which has been .pushed into the casing and to which pin one end of, saidv spring member l0 is attached, as above described. The spring Ill is therefore under tension. .In suchclosed position, the upwardly extendingpin member I2 of link l abuts one end edge. of, slot Id of the link B, thereby retaining said link 6 in its closed position. The downwardly,Y extending pin member I3 of the link 'I link 8, and

link member' 8V is retained in its closed position `by the. catch portion 25 of the spring detent Amember Il., which fits into the notches I5 of the link 8. as. described. Thus, in the closed position the,- entire linkage 6-1-8 is nested or collapsed and retained in locked relationship within the casing. I, eachmember with respect to the other.

When; it is desired to open the clasp, the wearer merelyexerts inward pressure upon the finger pads. 22, 22', and presses said pads downwardly so that the catch 2,5 of thespring detent member the notches i6 of the link- 8. The,l moment this release occurs, the

spring member lfd is free to contract and in so .doingfwill carry with it the pin member 6a to which one-end of said spring is attached, as above 6a, functioning as; an] integral part of the link 6, will slide along the, slot, II of the shelf 9, continuing to so move until. the pin 6a abuts the other end edge of the slot II.

As such. movement oi the link 6 and pin 6a takes place, thev pin member I2, which abuts the I of link 6, is also moved along the. slotv I6, carrying with it the link 'I of whieh the pin member- I2 functions as an integral part. Also, as link moves longitudinally, i-t carries withv it the downwardly extending pin member'IS which abuts, the one end of the slot I5 0f link 8 so that the link 8 is longitudinally proiBcteCL Extending laterally from pads 22, 22,.Which when ance results.

At this point in the extention of the bracelet, all of the link members 6, 'I and 8 lie outside of the clasp casing adjacent and parallel to each other. From this position, resulting from the release of the spring member I0, further extension is permitted by the slots Id and I5. To this end, longitudinal tension is applied to the links I land 8, whereby link 'I will be extended the length of the slot I t, as the pin member I2 of this link slides therealong, andthe link 8 will slide outwardly from the clasp to an extent permitted by its slot I5. The clasp is now at its full extended length, andl may readily be placed upon or removed from the wrist.

To close the clasp, manual longitudinal pressure is exertedupon the extended links 6, 'I and S to force them towards and into the casing I, until the spring detent I'I again cooperates with the desired notch I6 in the link 8 to retain said clasp in its contracted position.

It is to be noted that the bracelet maybe adjusted as to circumference while in the contracted state, to some minor extent, by means of the series-of notches I5 in the underside of link 8.

lThus, a slight expansion being desired, the spring detent may be released and the links allowed to move until the detent passes into the desired notch. Such extension involves a movement of ther linksr as a unit while in the adjacent and parallel relation, so that no unattractive appear- This feature of simultaneous extension oi the links is a highly important feature of ithe invention.

I; claim:

An extensible bracelet clasp comprising a cas.- ing including ya base, a top, and a longitudinally slotted shelf intermediate and substantially parallel to said top and said base and forming upper and lower spaces between said top and said shelf and shelf and said base, a spring member insaid upper spa-ce withone end attached to said casing, a series of relatively slidable link members nested in said lower space, a pinv on one end of one of said link members extending through the slot'in 'said1 shelf and into said upper space and attached tending inte the longitudinal slot of the rst said link member, a longitudinally slotted linkmember .underlying said solid link member, -a second. pin

`at the opposite end ofv said solid link member eX- tending into the longitudinal slot of the third said link member, and means comprising a catch member constructed and arranged to engage one of a plurality of notches inv said third link member for retaining said nes-ted link members in a collapsed locked relationship within the casing vaga-inst vprojection therefrom by said spring.

DAVID BLOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file or this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,997,836 Steinberg Apr. 16, 1 935 2,142,023v Goulden Dec. 27, 1938 

